Conductor and collector for electric railways or tramways.



No. 762,318; PATENTED JUNE 14," 1904.

D. KEMPT.

CONDUCTOR AND COLLECTOR FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS OR TRAMWAYS.

' APPLICATION FILED man. 11. 1903. no 110mm. 4 suns-sum 1.

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PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

D. KEMPT; CONDUCTOR AND COLLECTOR FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS 0R TRAMWAYS.

7 APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11. 1903.

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7 D. KEMPT. CONDUCTOR AND COLLECTOR FOR ELECTRIC RAITIJJWAYS 0RTRAMWAYS.

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Patented. June 14, 1904.

DONALD KEMPT, OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA.

CONDUCTOR AND COLLECTOR FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS R TRAMWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,318, dated June 14,1904;.

Application filed March 11, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DONALD KEMPT, surgeon dentist, a subject of the Kingof Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Buenos Aires,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conductors andCollectors for Electric Railways or Tramways, of which the following isa specification.

This invention has reference to and comprises improvements relating toconductors and collectors for electric railways and tramways; and itconsists of the application of means for making successive contacts withthe main conductor or conductors, preferably placed under ground, (butit may be in any other convenient position,) as the car progresses, forthe purpose of obviating the dangers and inconvenience of theoverhead-trolley system.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention relatesmay understand the nature of my improvements, 1 have hereunto appendedthree sheets of explanatory drawings, in which Figure 1 is adiagrammatic side elevation of a tramway-car fitted with myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the lower part of the car withpart of the appliances removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view onthe line a a in Fig. 1 of the collecting and transmitting appliances,and Fig. 4 is a plan of same, while Fig. 5 is a plan showing theflexible connection of the smaller collectors to the adjacent largerones. Fig. 6 is a plan of part of a tramway-line, showing thearrangement of the contact-boxes and their internal fittings in plan.Fig. 7 is an end sectional view of one of the contact-boxes, while Fig.8 is an elevation of the side placed next the rail, and Fig. 9 shows theappliance for conveying the return-current from the motor to the rail.both rails.

Referring to the drawings, in carrying into practice the improvements ofthis invention a series of perpendicular staves or levers 1, hereinaftercalled the conductors, of metal or other suitable material and of alength to suit the car or other vehicle to which they Fig. 10 isasectional view showing Serial No. 147,295. (No model.)

are applied, are fitted along one side of the car 2 from end to end,those next the wheels having shorter supplementary conductors 3 securedto them, in the manner to be described, to render the gaps in the seriescaused by the wheels to be as short as possible. The conductors 1 and 3are rounded at their lower ends or are fitted with wheels 4 of, say,four or five inches in diameter, and preferably thicker in the centerthan at the edge to run in the groove of the rail 5. These wheels 4 areattached to the lower ends of the conductors 1 by sockets 6, having apin 7 and a slot in the socket to allow for the lateral movementrequired for rounding curves. The conductors l are hinged at 8, as shownin Fig. 3, to the projecting rim of a Wooden frame 9, carried by eyes 10on rods 11, secured to the car, on which are mounted spiral or likesprings 12 to press the frame down, so that the wheels 4 of theconductors 1 will always run in the groove of the rail. Springs 42, Fig.3, are fitted between the upper ends of the conductors 1 and the frame9, carrying same in order to press the upper ends outward, andconsequently the lower ends inward, and there is attached to the frame 9a bar 13, sliding on rods 14, which passes along the outside of all theconductors 1, and the distance of this bar from the frame is regulatedby one or more screwsl5 in order to limit the outward movement of thetop of the conductors 1. Attached to the end of the frame 9 at front andrear of the car are two stationary rods 16 to clear the groove in therails. Each short supplementary conductor 3 is attached to the conductor1 next it by two bars 17 17, overlapping each other, as shown in Fig. 5,and being secured together by a pivot 7 which passes through the middleof bar 17 and through the end of bar 17. A flange 18 is made on one sideof bar 17', and a flange 19 is made on the opposite side of the bar 17.A rod 20 passes through holes in said flanges, on which is a spiralspring 21, which by means of the flanges 18 and 19 tends to force-therear end of bar 17 away from the flange 18. A nut 22 on the end of rod20 regulates the amount of movement of the bar 17. A wooden board issecured to or forms part of the lower side of each frame 9 carrying theconductors, the lower edge of which may be situated about siX inchesabove the rail, and a copper or other metal bar 43 or conductorelectrically connected to the commutator and motor by means of suitablewiring is secured to the lower edge of the board 9 and which is fittedwith rubber or other suit able springs 23 in order to yield slightly topressure. The whole is fitted in such a manner that while the wheels4 atthe lower end of the conductors l and 3 are traveling in the groove ofthe rail 5 the conductor is out of contact with the conductor-bar 43;but when the lower end moves inward, as will be described, the conductorcomes into contact with the conductor-bar and makes electricalconnection with same. At the other side of the car for thereturn-current and attached by suitable wiring to the motor on the caris a single conductor 24, Fig. 9, attached to the car between the wheelsand having at its lower end a four or five inch wheel to run in thegroove of the rail and at its upper end a spiral or other spring 25,pressing downward to retain it in the groove of the rail.

Referring to Figs. 6, 7, and 8, at spaced distances apart say abouttwo-thirds of the length, more or less, of the car to which theimprovements are being applied-breaks 26 are formed in the inside edgeof one of the rails 5 by cutting away part of the inner edgesay aboutthirteen inches in length. At each of these breaks and close to therail, but sepaated from it by fiber or other suitable insulatingmaterial, contact-boxes 27 are placed, through the center of which oneof the main conductors or cables 28 passes, the rail on the other sideof the track being used as the return-conductor. Each contact-box 27 isof a size to nearly fill the space of the break 26 in the rail and ishollow and rectangular and divided into upper and lower sections 29 and30. The lower one, 30, is put down first, and after passing the mainconductor 28 through the upper part of it the upper section 29 is boltedor otherwise secured onto it. The upper section has a removable top 32,which is secured to the part 29, so that it can be easily removed forcleaning or repair. In this top 32 is fitted a sliding plate 33,runningin grooves in each side, having a raised edge 34 to correspond with theinner side of the rail, and the gap caused by the break 26 is nearlyfilled by the edge 34, the front of the contact-box 35 being formed ofor covered with non-conducting material. Through the center of the top32 and attached to the sliding plate 33 is a prong 36, which makes thecontact with a metal plate 37, attached to the main conductor or cable28 inside the box. To the upper end of this prong 36, but underneath thetop, is attached a plate 38 with two rods 39, running through it, onwhich are springs 40, which may be of rubber, to keep the prong just outcontact till the slide 33 is forced by the pressure of one of theconductors on the car to move inward.

The action of the whole is as follows: As the car progresses the wheelsof the conductors 1 and 3 run in the grooves of the rail 45 and keepthem out of contact with the metal bar 22 on the car. When theconductors come opposite each break 26 in the rail, the springs 42 atthe top of the conductors force their lower ends inward and cause theconductor to make contact with the metal bar 43 on the car. At same timethe wheels 4 at the ends of the conductors 1 and 3 come into contactwith the sliding plate 34, which is thus forced inward, causing theprong 36 to make contact with the metal plate 37, attached to the mainconductor 28 within the box, and thus the circuit is completed from themain conductor 28 to the motor on one side and from the motor to therail 41, carry ing away the return-current, on the other.

It will be understood that when the plate 33 has its edge 34 in linewith the rails and is capable of being touched by the car wheels thereis no electrical connection. between the plate and main conductors. Whenthe plate 33 is pressed in to make electrical connection, the car-wheelsare not in a position to touch'it.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In conductors and collectors for electric railways, the combinationof the frame attached to the car, springs 12 for pressing it downwardly,conductors attached to said frame, springs 42 for pressing the upperends of said conductors away from the frame and the conducting-bar 43attached to the frame and electrically connected to a suitable motor onthe car, the lower ends of the staves coming in contact with the bar 43as these upper ends are pushed outwardly.

2. In conductors and collectors for electric railways, the combinationof a frame attached to the bottom of the car, springs for pressing theframe downwardly, staves hinged to said frame, springs for pressing theupper ends of the staves away from the frame, a conductingbar 43 carriedby the frame and electrically connected to a suitable motor on the car,the lower ends of the staves coming in contact with the bar 43 as theirupper ends are pushed outwardly and springs 23 for said conducting-bar.

3. In. conductors and collectors for electric railways, the combinationof the frame yieldingly secured to the car, staves hinged thereto,wheels carried by the staves, a conducting-bar secured to the frame andnormally out of contact with the staves, said bar being electricallyconnected to the motor of the car, and means for bringing the stavesinto contact with the bar.

4. In conductors and collectors for electric railways, the combinationof the frame amain stave secured thereto, a supplemental stave, Intestimony whereof Ihave signed my name bars 17 and 17 connecting saidmain and supto this specification in the presence of two subplementalstaves, said bars being pivoted toscribing Witnesses.

gether, and a spring for pressing the bar car- DONALD KEMPT. 5 rying thesupplemental stave laterally in re- Witnesses:

lation to the other bar, substantially as de- N. GROVES,

scribed. M. ALLEN.

